How many chances?
by autumn-leaf16
Summary: A Bishop x original NPC fic, the NPC is a young girl who grew up on the streets and fate keeps on throwing the two of them together. Story starts when he was 18, while she was 15. Note- completed
1. 18, 15

Bishop felt like sitting down and the spot beside the wagon happened to be quite a good position, especially when the wagon allowed him to lean back.

He realised the mistake he made when he saw two men approaching him, just after he heard the slight breathe from the wagon. Judging by their clothes, they were slavers.

He has never seen them before and right now, he could still claim that he remember all of his enemies. At the least he knew who wanted him dead. Since he was sure that he did not look like an easy target, they must be coming toward him due to whoever was in the wagon.

"You, have you seen a wench running around somewhere here?" one of the men demanded.

"This part of city is filled with scantly clad wenches." He said rather dryly, "But if you walk a bit more then you can see some women who are dressed in finer clothing, although whores are still whores regardless of what they wear."

He was, after all, a very cynical man. He has seen such a practice more then once, and he no longer cared even if it happened right in front of him as this has happened before.

This time however, he suddenly had an urge of doing something different.

One of the men began to curse and Bishop almost wanted to laugh out aloud due to their idiocy. Like many other slavers, or attempted slavers in this case, they managed to find a stock that they believed they could sell. Their plan backfired however, as the girl seemed to have seduced them and played them off against each other before she took their money and tried to escape.

Such was the life of those at the bottom scale in any city- despite what propaganda it might spread, although this city did not even have such a practice.

"Wait…she might have hid around here." One of the men began.

"I have been sitting here for some time." Bishop suddenly said.

"She must be somewhere else then." The other said as he quickly urged the other to go away and Bishop almost wanted to applaud his self control for not laughing out aloud at seeing this oldest trick being accepted.

"I am not leaving until you come out." Bishop said, his voice was soft but his tone was very harsh. As long as the girl hiding inside is not an idiot, then she would easily know that he did not do what he did out of a chivalrous reason.

"And you think that I should reward you when your help was not that much?" the young girl said as she slid out.

She was not beautiful or even pretty, and what she lacked in her appearance could not even be made up by the rest of her body: she was only a child.

"I made a mistake." Bishop muttered.

"What, did you think that I am some kidnapped princess who would reward her rescuer with half her father's kingdom?" the young girl continued in a voice as mocking as his.

She actually took a seat beside him and at the same time, she picked up some tattered rags and veiled her head with it.

"I am not that idiotic." He said. "I still want my reward."

"Reward? I suppose I can spare some of these coins that should really be mine."

"Some? I saved you."

"These idiots might easily have ignored this wagon. Surely your talk with them has revealed just how low their intelligence is."

"Be that as it is," without any warning he grabbed her hand, forcing her to drop the little dagger she held, "I do not do stuff out of the goodness of my heart. What I do, I do for a reward."

"But I did not ask you to help me at all." She spat back, the laughter in her voice gone. "And what are you going to do anyway? These two idiots are gone and who knows where they are now?"

If anything, he had to admire her due to the way she dealt with the situation. This was certainly a girl who grew up on the street and called it her home.

"But tell me, what do you want?" she asked. "Some how I don't think you will be satisfied even if I give the whole bag to you along with the other stuff that I took for them."

"Surely you know that there is something specific that a female have, especially when that is why you ended up in this situation."

A flicker of disgust crept in her eyes as she stated very coldly: "Are you another impotent who have to turn to children for pleasure?"

No men liked having their manhood taunted.

"If my breasts were larger and my hip a bit narrower then I could understand you perfectly." The girl continued calmly even though she saw the move toward his weapons. "With a woman it is different, but with a girl is another story."

"Why complain about free good?" he taunted back. "If you are at a brothel then I certainly would not buy you but I am not one to complain about free good. Given that it has been quite sometimes since I had any female company, I suppose I can tolerate you."

"I will say the same then. Since this is bound to happen I might as well do it now." Upon saying so she actually narrowed her eyes slightly, as if she was assessing him. "I suppose there are worse men to be the first men I sleeps with. But are you aware of what you are getting yourself into? They say that virgins always remember their first men."

"No one's memory is that good." He himself has already lost count of just how many women he has been with since they were often whores.

"But I think I will remember you." She said with a quiet but strong determination. "I think I will remember you even if I forget everyone else."

* * *

Due to the fact that he managed to gain some extra money from her, as she did end up giving him a majority of her newly owned possession and also because he saved some money by not having to buy a whore, he actually went to an inn instead of just going to the closest alleyway.

She was certainly not shy from doing such a thing, but then someone at her situation had to accept this, lovemaking for someone like her was inevitable due to the advantages it would bring- if they were lucky by being capable enough to be able to always choose whether they desired it or not.

It was not a little girl he left, but a young woman.

"I won't forget my teacher." She said mockingly as she supported herself up with her elbow and watched him prepare to leave.

"Don't expect anything from me. I told you that I did not help you out of some knightly reason."

"It is not as if I am a princess in a tower either, but I would like to know your name."

He turned around to look at her, what he was certain would be the last time. There was nothing distinctive about her that would let him remember this day- no unusual hair colour or eyes; no extreme beauty or body. She was very young and he usually did not sleep with some one this age but he has done it a couple of years before, when he was no more older then her age.

He would not remember her.

"No."

Then he left her by closing the door.

* * *

**_Author's Note: This is a really random idea I had quite some time ago so I have no idea when I will update. But after sometimes since I played neverwinter nights 2, I suddenly had an idea of doing a drabble. For some reason I seem to like having OC characters that are not NPC._**

**_written: 26 June_**


	2. 20, 17

Trust was very rare in this city, but this did not prevent people from working with one another. It was a gamble that many were willing to take in order for their wealth to increase.

Bishop was in such a situation right now. He has returned to this city after an interval of two years which he spent between random cities and the nearby wilderness.

He was not in desperate need of money but the amount offered was a bit tempting, even though he was very weary of the people he had to work with. Two former acquaintances of his –a pair of brothers he had the misfortune of meeting- wanted to get some goods smuggled into Neverwinter and for some reason they had to travel through the forest. Why they had to do that was not his concern even though that was why they approached him.

Their plan also required them to find a girl and once again, he did not really care just how they planed to carry out their plan. His main concern was that he gets a share of the loot instead of a dagger in the back.

He was with the younger of the two brothers as letting them both be out of his sight was too dangerous. There was no doubt that the other was thinking about how to maximize his own share of the good.

This was what most people do.

The extremely naïve ones would end up with nothing- if they were lucky.

His companion's slight shift indicated the arrival of the one they were waiting for has arrived with their last tool.

"We will leave the next day." The elder brother said as both he and the young girl sat down. "Do you two both know what you will be doing?"

"Look pretty and respectable." The girl said with a very good imitation of an upper class accent, although there was still some fault in it. "So you two will really look like proper merchants."

Two years has some effect on her- she has grown a bit in many ways. In addition to being taller, she no longer appeared as if starvation was her common hobby. Most of all, the curves of her body was much more obvious as the dress could be described as being worn, instead of being hung down.

The strangest bit was that he recognized her, the girl whose name he did not even know.

So much for her promise of not forgetting her first man, he thought cynically when they finished for the night and headed to their own rooms, no doubt all planning how to get the best deal.

The steps were rather light, but he was quite proud of his hearing as well as his eyesight. After all, a sharp pair of eyes would not be of help if the surrounding was dark.

"Oh, so this is how you usually greet a woman! No wonder you wanted free good!" she whispered when he placed the dagger against his throat.

"What do you want?" he demanded simply, not bothering to put his dagger down. After all, she was much easier to replace.

"I know you remember me." She said with a smirk. "Don't lie."

"What do you want? Do you think that I will be sentimental?"

"I am not an idiot either." She said, referring to what he said to her years ago. "But don't you think I have improved? I have the opinion of many others as well."

"Am I supposed to be charmed by you? It seems the opposite to me, since you seem to be begging me to take you." He said, putting away the dagger in order to engage his hands in holding some thing more pleasant.

"What else would a woman come to a man's room?" but she actually held back his hand from unlacing her dress. "Not yet, the two brothers can easily discuss how to cheat us because they are brothers and so brought only one room. You and I however, are in separate rooms."

"What make you think that I will work with you? I admit that you have improved, but I am not so easily fooled."

"This is merely a bonus. I know that you didn't save me out of the goodness of your heart but you did save me. That is why I would not be thinking about how to harm you unless you give me a good reason too."

"I wouldn't trust you even if you saved my life." He told her very bluntly.

"I know that. But what loss do you have? You know that the two brothers will work together, so I can not work with them or betray you. Beside, you can easily kill me."

"What is your plan then?"

"I am not the most intelligent person so my plan is very simple: I will do whatever they intend to do. But I am not fully sure what they will do other then breaking their words…"

Bishop chuckled as he gave her a nod of confirmation before adding: "You grew up in more ways then one."

"How else would I be able to remain alive on the streets in such a business?"

"But I wonder if you have grown up enough," he suddenly said, "Their blood might be stained onto your hands. They might threaten me with you if they found out about this night and I do not take kindly to threats."

She paled slightly before she gave a shrug: "Then they get what they deserve. But I don't think they will do something so stupid, thinking than a man like you will fall in love just after a night. I do not think a man like you can fall in love even after ten years."

Then they decided to bring in some pleasure into their talk of business.

* * *

What happened in the end was rather ironic: the two brothers ended up giving them very little problem due to having their other past caught up upon them.

In the forest, they were attacked and using this opportunity, Bishop and his ally not only ended up with their problem solved by someone else, they also got some additional loot. Since they naturally couldn't just let someone attack them and get away with it.

He divided the loot up rather fairly since she did do her share of the killing as well. She was skilled enough with a weapon, by that he meant she was able to not get in his way as well as solving the problem of being attacked herself.

She certainly needed to as he would not have bothered to help someone this useless.

"Now what?" she asked aloud when she carefully bundled her new possessions up and hide them in the fold of her seemingly flimsy skirt. "What happens now?"

"You do whatever you want and I'll do whatever I want. Simple as that. All you have to do is to follow the path, I am sure even someone like you can do that."

The path would lead her to Neverwinter, since they received the 'visit' when they were almost out of the forest.

"Neverwinter, I have heard about the city." She muttered to herself softly before turning to him, who, for some reason, has not moved away yet. "But what is it really like?"

"It is like any city." He told her simply. "But it is better then Luskan."

"That isn't something to boast about." At this, the two of them shared a grim understanding that arose from any two who were born in the lowest social hierarchy of that said city.

"Very well then, I will go there." She declared out, although he wasn't sure who she was addressing to. Talking to herself was strange enough but it would be equally strange for her to address him, since he made it quite clear that he did not care about the affairs of the other.

He got his answer quite soon as she quickened her pace in order to keep up with him. But once she achieved her goal, she didn't say anything at all.

She finally spoke when they arrived at the entrance of the city.

"I will stay in Neverwinter for sometime." She said firmly. "Perhaps we will meet up again. If we do, then I want to know your name."

"I wouldn't count on it." He said as he finally walked away from her.

This time, she did not follow him.

* * *

**_Author's Note:_** _**With this story, I am more interested in the interaction between Bishop and my OC- who does has a name. That is why the actions are glossed over. As I said, this is sort of my random drabble project.**_


	3. 21, 18

Absence did not necessary make the heart fonder as he certainly didn't gain a love for Neverwinter or its people just because he didn't see it for a whole year- although a year of absence was not really that long for him.

He planned to go to the Sunken Flagon but found himself taking a slight detour due to witnessing something very interesting in the alleyway.

One of the members of the street had just finished a task as she was collecting some wealth from the body in front of her. Judging by the way she was doing it, the body in front was not dead.

Since he did not bother to conceal his footsteps, it was easily visible to one who was used to such a thing. As she quickly turned to his direction, he saw her face rather clearly.

"You…" he muttered in disbelieve.

"I don't believe this." She said in a similar tone before she suddenly started to laugh. "I almost feel that it is fate."

"Almost?"

"Isn't fate rather cruel to me if she keeps on making me meet a person like you?" she answered steadily before she decided. "I am going to get out of here before any guard come."

"Up to you tricks again?"

Without knowing why, he choose to follow her and even talking to her, noticing that she was actually wearing a dress instead of clothing that were more suitable for thieving.

"Despite what you think my old tricks seem to have worked quite well most of the time." She said with a slight smirk. "But no, I wasn't doing such a thing. What happened was actually an accident, since I no longer do such a work."

He didn't press on as he did not care what she did for a living, although it was not really heard to guess, as people like her did not have much choice.

A period of silence followed and even though he did not seem to be aware of her presence, he actually continued to walk beside her.

A fact that she certainly noticed.

"The money I earned from that day was very useful." She declared out when they finally stopped in front a rather shabby apartment. "I managed to buy a dwelling although it certainly is less then ideal."

How did he use his own money? It was certainly not used in a very permanent way.

"It is strange that we keep on meeting. Maybe it really is fate." This time, her voice was very serious. "At the very least I think three times really is the limit."

"Aren't you going to ask me what I mean?" she said when he made no reaction other then following her upstairs.

"Don't push your luck." he said coldly. "The fact that I am interested enough to not leave is a miracle itself."

Her room was rather empty and he noticed that there were certain traps surrounding the windows. They were rather complex even though they were homemade. A tight smile appeared at this- she was clearly concerned about intruders yet she did not want to seal a possible escape path.

Her door also had more locks inside. It made sense as she would be sleeping here- so there would be moments when she was completely vulnerable.

"My name is Nytalia." She said simply. "You will know it whether you want to or not."

"Don't expect me to remember it."

His retort only earned a slight shrug from her.

"You won't forget it, I know." She said before she lay on her bed. "I didn't lock the door so you can leave whenever you want without wasting your time, because I think you can manage to unlock the door."

"So little confidence in your own security?" he mocked out as he sat right beside her.

"I didn't bother to install any elaborate locks since the whole building is full of thieves. Not that it matter because my most important possession is this room and my weapons, which I carry with me whenever I leave.

"But I don't know why I tell you about this when you clearly don't care. I just want to know one thing- what is your name?"

"Why are you so concern about this? Is it just because I was the first man you slept with?" he laughed out as sat down beside her.

"I don't know." She admitted honestly. "Yet I really want to know who you are.

"Bishop." He suddenly said, earning a "What?" from her.

"Didn't you say you want to know my name? That is my name." he told her truthfully, although he wasn't really sure why he bothered.


	4. 23, 20

As far as jobs went, this one wasn't really bad. Most importantly, it seemed highly possible that they could actually part ways after the job without having to kill anyone, especially those they just worked with.

Rather funny given that she was working with a half-demon.

The job should be quite simple, if it was successful then it should be thievery, although there was also a possibility that this might turn into a robbery.

Even thought Nytalia was sure that she remembered every detail of Neeshekal's plan, she continued to concentrate on the other's word as she didn't want to accidentally miss something important.

But she was very tempted to let her mind wonder. She had arrived in Neverwinter at this time of the year, and it has also been two exact years since she saw him for the third time.

Bishop- that was probably not his real name but she was rather sure that this was the name he told everyone, so the only one who knew more was the person in question himself, which was natural enough.

It seemed that he tended to return to the city at this time of the year. Now that she thought about it- she had met him in Luskan at this time of the year as well.

Maybe he alternated his time between Neverwinter and Luskan, and since he did not come to Neverwinter last year, then it was highly possible that he might be coming this year.

But then he could have returned to the city without choosing to find her.

Why did she have this fascination with that man? Was it really just because he was the first man she slept with? Or was it because he saved her? But such an act of heroism was pretty pathetic.

Maybe this really was fate's trick on her.

* * *

He left her two years ago and it was just like the first time. She sat up and watched him preparing to leave without doing anything else.

"No fond farewells?" he mocked out when he reached the door.

"I will save that for next time."

"You think there will be a next time?"

"It is up to you, isn't it?" She said before she lay down again.

The locks were not very difficult although it did take longer then his anticipation because she seemed to have installed some new locks.

After making sure that no one else was in, he slouched on her bed. Her absence was not really surprising because he would have had to spend more time unlocking the door if she was inside.

As she herself said, there really wasn't much worth stealing in the room: it really just has cheap furniture along with some personal items that were probably of a same quality as well.

The only food and drink she had was a bottle of cheap ale as well as some extremely dry bread. While he chooses to disregard the bread due to the slight greenness at certain parts, he was not so strict when it came to drinks.

A mistake because he ended up spitting it out after the first sip.

Were all women lacking in this area? He thought as he spat on the floor, wanting to get rid of the after taste. The bottle was thrown over his shoulders, this was not a waste as what was in there was trash.

Maybe he should go to the sunken flagon and have some decent ale in order to wash the taste off. Surprisingly, Duncan was actually good at something.

She would probably be back after he had enough drinks…

A deep frown appeared when he realised what his thoughts meant. He was actually going to deliberately return to her? He would do such a thing for a woman he has only met three times?

No, the amount of meeting has nothing to do with this, he simply hated being bound to something.

To the Sunken Flagon it is, Bishop decided, but the only difference is that he would not return. He would leave Neverwinter from the Sunken Flagon.

* * *

Nytalia decided that it was pretty good to work with a woman, even if she was a trifling, because there were certain understandings between women.

The job was rather profitable too, and she would like to work with Neeshekal again.

She immediately noticed that someone had entered her room because the locks were open. Pulling out her short sword, she kicked the door with just the right pressure: hard enough to open it, but not hard enough to make her having to spend money in replacing it.

The broken bottle in the middle of her room along with the slightly rumpled bed caused her to smile very bitterly.

"So you did come to Neverwinter, Bishop." She commented. "But you left. Why? It is because you think that I will see that as a sign of commitment?

"I am not that stupid." She muttered.

More then anything, Bishop hated being bound to anyone, but he didn't realise that there was already something that would bind the two of them together.


	5. 26, 23

Nytalia was just about to think that she had been rather lucky lately as she managed to end up scoring jobs that were relatively easy in proportion to the amount of money that she received.

She was hired as a guard for an extremely merchants who was naturally paranoid about the danger he might face on such a trip. Not only was he worried that he might be attacked as he travelled between the cities, he was also concerned with being attacked during times when he was not able to keep the two body guards he had by his side.

"At such a time the presence of armed men would be regarded as insults." The merchant had explained to Nytalia as he eyed her rather lustfully. "So I need some one capable person beside me."

"And what make you think that they wouldn't see me as being dangerous?" she asked pleasantly as she started to play with her dagger: a warning for him to keep his hands to himself.

"Not if I say that you are my concubine." He pointed out. "Such a thing is not uncommon. In fact, it is very likely that my enemies would do a similar thing."

The offer was very tempting and since all she had to do was to wear the clothes he provide and sit right beside him when he eats, she didn't mind.

But it seemed that men were naturally greedy as he actually wanted her to perform what was not mentioned in their contract, and this foolish desire was encouraged by his two bodyguards.

Their plot was almost amusing as it was absolutely pathetic: thinking that they could drug her and have their way. Well, she would give them a good lesson.

* * *

On the night before they reach Neverwinter, they stopped to make camp and Nytalia decided that if they planned to do anything to her, then they would do it today. Therefore, she will strike out tonight as well.

If they didn't…that was their own fault for thinking that they could get the better of her.

Her first targets were the two guards and it had been childish simply, but then she had been aware of this weapon ever since she was barely a good girl. Beauty naturally helped but that was not always the most important thing, it was the ability of using one's femininity and charmed men into thinking that your desirability outweighs your sincerity.

"You must be joking!" they examined in disbelieve. "He would not stab us in the back after the agreement we all had."

"When have you ever met an honest merchant?" she said sweetly, as it was always very useful to include truth in one's lies.

"But why are you suddenly approaching us?" they asked her suspiciously.

"Isn't it simple? Because he plans to cheat me as well." She said as she deliberately smiled at them in her most seductive manner. "Let us say that he want to taste my goods without paying."

Nytalia did not really mind acting such a role as long as she won't have to end up actually doing it. Pretending that she was rather loose was actually rather useful and she was always the one who has the last laugh by killing them without letting them get what they thought they would get.

Leaning forward, she kissed one of them before she caressed him by the chest, slowly raising her flimsy skirt. "I am sure my goods will please you."

It was very easy to see them being completely taken.

* * *

Her biggest disadvantage was the tendency of being outnumbered since her body made these three men have a common goal. However, men were easily distracted.

Therefore, the number was quickly done to two.

"You – " the first man began cursing at her when he returned from a temporary absence to find that his companion was now dead, having been stabbed, the bloody weapon still in her hand.

"Oh, don't worry, I will make sure that you get what he got as well, which also mean that you won't get what he didn't get." Nytalia said as she threw the dart.

It was amazing how these two managed to survive so long when they let down their guard so easily.

Number three- and he should be extremely easy to take care of. Partly because her latest victim had been absent in order to take care of him. Even if he didn't really do it, the last man was only a merchant.

Chances are that he didn't do anything, as they would probably want to get the best of both parties, she thought as she made her way to the main tent.

The scene in there though, completely stunned her.

"You?!" she examined out in shock when he quickly turned out with the bloodied knife in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, more surprised at his appearance then the now dead body of her last client.

"I need some more money." Was all Bishop would say, and he actually began to search for gold.

"Why, is this what you do now?" she asked dryly, quickly joining the search since she wanted to be paid as well.

"Only if they are merchants who are as idiotic as to hire two bodyguards who happens to be dallying with a whore instead of guarding him." He said very bluntly.

"These two bodyguards were foolish by thinking that they could dally with me when I am not a whore." She corrected him. "And so is this man in thinking that he could mess with me. You did me a favour as I was just about to kill him."

Before she bent down to get the key that she has seen him hid in a very unlikely place, Nytalia first gave him a very well aimed kick at the head: it was always better to be safe.

"But he is certainly intelligent in other aspects." She said in admiration due to the context of the coffer.

* * *

The two of them took as much as they could before they headed to Neverwinter and much to Nytalia's shock, Bishop actually continued to accompany her to her house.

"I cannot be bothered to go to the sunken flagon right now." He said.

So that really was where he often go, Nytalia has heard rumors and she has even went to the inn to see if she could find out anything about him.

But she acted as if she didn't realise the significance of his words because he wanted to believe that she had no way of initiating any contact of him as being able to find him was enough to be some form of a chain.

"Don't you think that a celebration is in order?" She said as she turned to him.

"But do you have anything new to offer?" he asked her on purpose.

"Why ask me a question when you already know the answer?" she said. "Although I wonder what is it that I am celebrating for?"

Was it meeting him after an absence of three years? Foolish as it was, she was actually happy to see him.

She didn't think that this was love because she did quite well even when he was absent, and she was never pinning away like these foolish bards who always cherish in singing such a thing. But then, she didn't think that such a thing existed anyway.

Yet she was very happy to see him and even though she had been with other men, more then enough, they never pleased or excited her the way this man could.


	6. 27, 24

The door was opened before he even finished unlocking the numerous locks, but whatever greetings he might have for her died the moment he looked inside.

There was a stranger lying on her bed and he was clearly her latest lover instead of her latest kill as his body was moving slightly due to his rather even breathing, this also indicated that he must trust Nytalia quite a bit in order to sleep so peacefully.

Bishop turned back to her and saw that Nytalia herself only had a robe draped on her, without any obvious weapons. So… it seemed that this foolishness was mutual.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked rather sarcastically.

"Probably not." she appeared to be completely unconcerned with everything. "You arrived at just the right time. A few minutes earlier or later would be rather embarrassing."

"Did you know that it was me?"

"I know that it is you." She said simply, although she did not elaborate or explain.

But it seemed that he made a mistake in his judgment because she did have a weapon- the ribbon that tied her hair back. He recalled that her hair was usually loss when they slept together as it always gets in the way. It seemed to grow more troublesome each time they meet…

"And you choose to open the door?"

"You would get it opened anyway."

Without saying anything, he turned around and walked back down. Nytalia did not chase after him, but she continued to stand there, staring thoughtfully at the stairs that would lead her to him.

"Nytalia…what are you doing?" her latest lover called out, and she would be curious at how much he knew if her mind wasn't completely occupied by Bishop.

"Nothing." She said sweetly before she slid in the narrow bed. "Why don't we pick off where we left?"

* * *

Bishop made his way to the sunken flagon, what should have been his original destination.

"Why did I even bother to go there?" he muttered as he began to drink.

The fact that she had other lovers shouldn't be a surprise at all, especially when she was someone who often used her sexuality as a weapon. Yet the whole idea made him scowl and desire more drink then usual.

Nytalia did not appear until he had quite some drinks. He knew that she had come to find him because people were only willing to sit near him when the tavern gets really packed, since he had a talent in encouraging people to stay some distances away.

Another proof of her foolishness, he thought cynically as he raised his hand to swat away her hand, which was actually tapping on his shoulder.

"Do that again and I will use my dagger next time." He muttered. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Do you claim a monopoly on this place?" Nytalia said. "I want to be here and I can be here if I want."

"And what do you want?" Bishop asked.

"You can not give me what I want so I have to make a do with what I can get." Nytalia said, deciding to lay all her cards out on the table. Her latest lover had been quite a good pick given the surrounding: saying that he was the one apple that did not rot was going a bit too far, but he was actually not that bad a person.

At one stage, she almost wonders whether she was in love with him!

But Bishop's appearance quickly told her who was the man that she really loved, although she naturally couldn't immediately chase after him as that would make her appear a bit too desperate.

"But it is not always easy to make a do." She continued. "You come on an annual basis at the very least so I naturally have to find ways to entertain myself."

"Why I do I care, Nytalia? Who you sleep with is not my problems at all." He said.

"It isn't, but it is my problem." Nytalia said steadily. "I love you- if that is love. That is why I want you to know that I only do what I do because you are not there."

"I don't mind people being foolish." Bishop said pleasantly. "As long as they don't involve me in their foolishness."

"You won't be." Nytalia said. "But I want you to know that. I will be waiting for you…I will always be waiting for you in that little room no matter what. Oh, at times there might be other men there, but when you are there then I will willingly kick them out of the house to make space for you."

After saying that, she stood up and left.

Bishop did not follow, but he couldn't just dismiss her words as he once would. He was not tied or bound to her, because he could just never go there again. Yet she would appear in his thoughts even before he arrive in that area.

Some how, he has started to think of her whenever he thought of Neverwinter.

* * *

When Bishop left Neverwinter, he did so from the sunken flagon and he never once ventured near Nytalia's home.

Nytalia was naturally disappointed at this although she knew that this was the most possible outcome due to what she did. But she was a bit hopeful, that she would be able to see him again.

He was not someone that could be kept, so the only thing she could do was to have him continue visiting her.

What would happen in the future did not matter at all because that was not their life style.


	7. 28, 25

What ended up happening was beyond anything that Nytalia had ever thought of: she was actually travelling right beside Bishop!

This was all thanks to Aelonalia, Duncan's niece. Since they needed a thief, Bishop volunteered her, describing her as someone he knew, as well being a 'A good enough thief'

Nytalia wonder what the others thought of the two of them, they were not particularly close despite spending many of their nights together. In addition, Nytalia would show no sign of jealousy when Bishop talked to the other females of the party with rather crude allusions. She might even join Bishop in his mockeries.

This was because she knew how much Bishop hated to be possessed and jealousy was a symbol of such a thing. She wasn't really jealous either, since she herself had quite some man that she slept with. What he said meant nothing.

Yet she was special to him because he admitted that he didn't know another idiot like her.

All good things must come to an end, Nytalia thought a bit sadly as she decided to step out from her hiding place, the fun was over.

"It seems that I really am stupid whenever you are concerned." She said softly, "I won't ask you about why you are doing this, instead, I want to know why you don't just go? Why don't you just leave now? Why do you plan to make your escape more difficult?"

Bishop just broke the lock of the main gate, but instead of running away, he actually concealed what he just did.

"The bargain is that I open the gate for them." he told her in a very matter of fact voice as he went to stand beside her, his dagger still in his hand. "This is merely my preparation."

"Why? I know you well enough to know that the most important thing to you is you. Why do you even bother to make this bargain when you can just desert without any problems since Aelonalia is one of those foolish women who believe in the non existing goodness of the human heart?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Nytalia shrugged and muttered: "My answer won't make a difference." And she was right, as he already decided to tell her.

"Because of this." He told her as he pressed the blade of the dagger against her throat. "You do not tremble at all, Nytalia, and this is because you know that I won't kill you."

"Maybe it is because I do not mind being killed by you." Nytalia chuckled bitterly. "You know how foolish I am whenever you are involved."

"You are an idiot, Nytalia, but you are not that stupid." Bishop said as he re-sheathed his blade.

"So you decide to kill everyone just because you think I am not afraid of you? What has this got to do with anything?"

"I don't care about anyone else because I can kill them anytime that I want. You however, I can not kill. That is why I will open the gate to these so called 'enemies', this is what made me agree to their request, otherwise I would never bother something so troublesome."

"What is my crime then?" Nytalia asked steadily. "Why do you wish for me to die so much even though you cannot bring yourself to do the actual act?"

"That itself is your crime." He drew her close to kiss her, but for the first time her lips were very cold. This wasn't a surprise as he doubted that anyone in her position could be passionate let along amorous.

"What are you going to do with me given that I just saw your plan?" Nytalia said, remaining immobile in his arms. "I could just tell everyone and you would most likely be executed."

"Nothing." He said with a trace of his old smirk. "Because I know that you will not do anything. You wouldn't do something that would harm me."

Her silence was a good enough answer.

* * *

They ended up spending that night together, refusing to mention tomorrow at all.

"Do you remember our first meeting?" Nytalia said softly, when they were both too exhausted to continue. She did not even wait for his answer- was it because she doubt that he would give her an answer, or was it because she was afraid of what he might say? "It happened ten years ago, it has been ten years since we met.

"I still remember everything that happened, starting from the look of disappointment on your face when you saw me, as the body I had then was still the body of an un-grown child. And the truth is that you wouldn't have slept with me if I didn't want to, would you?"

"That is true." He admitted. "I am not very fond of doing such a thing, even though you actually weren't that young. But Nytalia, there is one thing that I wish to know: did you realise what might easily have happened?"

"Yes but no. I have never been a prostitute and that is something I am quite proud of." Nytalia said softly. "That is your answer. But Bishop… why do you care?"

"Because I wish to know how this whole mess begun." He said truthfully. "How this whole foolishness continued."

"Because I have always been foolish when you are involved." She said, quoting what he had said to her quite a lot of times. "I do not know why…I still don't know why, but somehow you attracted me. But what I remember the most that day is what you said as you were about to leave me: 'Don't expect anything from me'. And I continued doing that, even. Yet this still ends up happening…

"I use to often wonder whether I am cursed for meeting you and loving you. But now I think my curse is to have gained your affections. You… are the worst type of coward, Bishop! Because you want to destroy what you are afraid of."

"It is one way to live."

"Bishop…if I survive then I will be at my home, waiting for you. As always," she whispered. "You are free to come and go."

For the first time that she could remember, Nytalia allowed herself to cry and clung onto him as any other woman would. She fell asleep with her arms tightly around his body although she knew that she would wake up alone again.

* * *

_**Author's note:**_ _**Technically this story is finished here, and this chapter is really the extract that I suddenly had, which inspired this whole story. But I am thinking about doing an epilogue, which is a bit happy-happy, but then that seems a bit inconsistent with the rest of the story.**_


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